Fresh in Politics at the Time of Crisis; Najla Bouden is Assigned as the First Female Tunisian PM

On Wednesday, September 29, 2021, the Tunisian President Kais Saied appointed Najla Bouden Romdhane as a Prime Minister to form a government in the coming hours. The moment of having a new government is the moment Tunisians have been waiting for, since Saied’s latest decisions to freeze parliament and dismiss the former Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi. However, could a lady, fresh in politics, save the country from its current crises?! In fact, appointing the 63-year-old female engineer came as a new surprise from the Tunisian President amid growing domestic and international discontent about his power seizure. 

 

First Female PM

Two months passed after President Kais Saied held executive authority, dismissed the prime minister and suspended parliament. However, Wednesday 29 September 2021 was the starting point in the Tunisian political scene when the Tunisian President finally assigned Najla Bouden Romdhane, 63, as the first female Prime Minister to form a new government in the “nearest time” since a lot of time has been wasted. Kais Saied said in a video posted on his official facebook page that “for the first time in Tunisia’s history, a woman will head a government.”

Tunisia is still passing by a period of  social and economic crisis amid political emptiness. All political parties and civil society have long waited for Saied to assign a Prime Minister to hopefully end the chaotic period which the country is passing by. 

In addition, in the same video, Saied insisted that he will work with Najla Boudin  “with a strong will and determination to fight corruption and chaos that pervaded in many state institutions”. Last week Kais Said said that during the emergency period, the government would be responsible to the president, so the new Prime Minister Najla  Romdhane is likely to have less direct power than previous prime ministers under the 2014 constitution.

 

Little-Known Engineer

Najla Bouden Romdhane is not much known, especially politically speaking, as she has no political affiliation according to Anadolu Agency. The first female Prime Minister was born in Kairouan, Tunisia. 

She is an engineer by profession and a professor of higher education at the National Engineering School of Tunis at Tunis El Manar University, having specialized in geosciences. Mrs. Bouden has a Ph.D. from Ecole des Mines de Paris in earthquake engineering. Her work has focused on seismic hazards in Tunis.

Romdhane was Head of the Management by Objectives Unit for the implementation of the Higher Education Reform Project in the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research when she was assigned by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to implement programmes with the World Bank, according to the official Tunisian News Agency, from 2016 until 29 September 2021, when President Kais Saied asked her to form and lead a government.

In 2011, she was appointed director-general in charge of quality at the Ministry of Higher Education. Ms Bouden will be the country's and Arab world's first female Prime Minister.

 

Family Friend to Saeid

There was no immediate reaction from Tunisia’s powerful General Labour Union or political parties to Romdhane’s appointment.

However, parliament members may challenge the legality of any government appointment without the consent of the now-suspended chamber. In the upcoming few hours, or maybe days,  many changes will occur in the Tunisian political scene.

When the Tunisian street was asked about its opinion on videos published on youtube channels, the answer was ‘ a happy face’. 

It was clear that the Tunisian people are thirsty for social and political stability. Many of them were optimistic by Kais Saied’s surprise, because, according to them, there were male Prime Ministers in the previous Tunisian governments but they did nothing to save them from poverty and chaos. 

Whereas some of them insist that it is just a ‘’show’’ to hide the gloomy side of this choice. Najla Bouden is a close friend of Kais Saied’s wife Ichraf Chebil. Accordingly, nothing could be innocent, as it is almost always the case in politics.